‘House Of The Dragon’ Episode 8 Review: Long Live The King

The Lord of the Tides was a big time-jump on Sunday night.

We moved ahead ten years after Episode 5 with some of the major characters aging up and being replaced. We learned a lot about the children of Rhaenyra and Alicent. Many of the actors have been re-cast in Episode 8.

The older versions of Alicent and Visery's children are shown here.

I recognized the actor who plays Aemond, but I couldn't place it until I looked him up. The bastard son of King Alfred is played by him. He is a good friend to the main character Uhtred.

He's a bit more devious here. He had an eyepatch given to him in the fight. He is taller and older than his brother Aegon.

Team Black

The older versions of Rhaenyra's children are shown here.

Both Rhaenyra and Daemon have children.

Baela was taken as ward by Rhaenys.

The Lord Of The Tides

The conflict of succession is a large part of House of the Dragon.

The matter of succession to the Driftwood Throne has arisen as Lord Corlys Velaryon battles in the Stepstones. Ser Vaemond Velaryon has petitioned the crown to name him heir against his brother's wishes because he is not a bastard.

This is a bigger problem for Rhaenyra than the inheritance of Driftmark. Her older son, Jace, would become heir to the Iron Throne if her younger son is replaced as heir to Driftmark.

Rhaenyra, Daemon, and their children are going back to King's Landing to make their case.

Rhaenyra wants Princess Rhaenys to suggest an alliance in order to get the inheritance. She and Daemon said that Rhaenys thought her son was killed. She suggests a double marriage of Jace and Baela, who would become King and Queen, and Rhaena andluke, who would become Lord and Lady of driftmark.

When she brings it up to King Viserys, Rhaenys doesn't seem thrilled.

Viserys showed up for the proceedings. The Seven Kingdoms have been ruled by the father and daughter of Otto and Alicent. But Rhaenyra pleads with her father and he makes a surprise entry, hobbling up to the Iron Throne in the middle of the proceedings and taking his place as adjudicator

The king has a golden mask covering half of his face. Viserys has lost an eye but not violence. It is wrapped in bandages. He has lost his hair. His teeth are dark in color. It has been sixteen years since the fifth episode of Viserys.

He made it to the proceedings to protect his daughter. He told Vaemond that nothing has changed, and asked Rhaenys if Corlys still wanted to pass it on. She tells the king about the marriage proposals between her grandsons and Viserys, which pleases the king very much. He says the matter is resolved.

Vaemond is angry and determined. He told the king to break the law and install his daughter as heir. Do you know who should inherit the name Velaryon? I will not allow it.

The king asked if he could allow it. Vaemond, don't forget yourself.

That is not a true Velaryon. No nephew of my.

Viserys is calm now with a knife's edge in his voice, saying thatLucerys is my trueborn grandson and you no more than the second son of driftmark.

You can run your house as you please, but you won't decide the future of me. The gods will not see the end of my house because of the doom. He ponders if he should go that far. The king's surprise attendance has shaken him, as he had planned on an easy win.

Daemon told him to say it.

He says that her children are bad. She is a Whore.

Viserys drew his dagger. "I will have your tongue for that," he says, as he sways on his feet, astonishment and rage written across the half of his face that wasn't hidden.

Daemon spoke for him the whole time. There are only two words for the Velaryon knight.

The Valyrian steel blade was passed down from the sister-queen of Aegon the Conqueror to him. He sliced Vaemond's head in two and cut it off at the mouth. The tongue protrudes from the top when the body is on the floor. Daemon said that he could keep his tongue.

"Get rid of him!" Otto shouted and Daemon was quickly surrounded. The Kingsguard aren't able to disarm him. He made his way back towards Rhaenyra after wiping his blade.

Aemond had a smile on his face as he watched from across the hall. It could be a challenge. Both of them share a similar type of self-confidence that few around them have.

Both Alicent and Rhaenyra rushed to the king after he collapsed. He exclaimed, "I must."

Daemon was thought to be Rhaenyra's biggest threat in the beginning of the show. He didn't seem to want the Iron Throne. He wouldn't have gotten on his brother's bad side so publically if he had. He always thought Viserys was too weak to be a king, so he wanted his family to remain strong. He wasn't completely incorrect.

One of the king's weaknesses is his temperament. Viserys wants everyone to get along and for everything to go as planned even if that isn't possible. He detests war and conflict but his choices and avoidances have led to the precipice of war.

His illness is a contributing factor. The Red Keep has become their own as he has deteriorated. Targaryen symbols and statues have been replaced with religious symbols. As Viserys rots away in bed, Alicent has taken over the Small Council, and Daemon and Rhaenyra are not happy about it. Daemon isn't always nervous.

A Family Feast

The families meet over a meal. servants carry Viserys on his chair He rasps, clearly weakened by the earlier incident, "How good is it to see you all tonight together?"

Battle lines are drawn at the table. The queen is to the king's right. There is a hand to the right of Alicent. Aemond is at the end of the table Aegon is next to him. She reassured her family that marriage isn't that bad.

Team Black leaves here. Daemon and Rhaenyra. Viserys toasts to the betrothed and Aegon teases his nephew: "You'll finally get to lie with a woman."

Aemond stares daggers at his nephew while the king toasts him as Lord of the Tides.

The king says that seeing the faces around the table makes him sad. The faces that are dearest to me in all the world have grown distant from each other.

He takes off his mask to see what's underneath. He looks like he's not breathing. He wishes you would see him as he is. Not just as a king, but as your father, your brother, your husband and your grandsire who may not, it seems to me. We can no longer feel bad in our hearts. If the House of the Dragon is divided, the crown can't stand tall. If not for the sake of the crown then for the sake of this old man who loves you all so much!

Alicent looked like she was about to cry. Rhaenyra is standing and making a toast. No one has been more loyal to his side than his wife.

She continued her toast and apologized to her friend. The toast was returned by Alicent. It was almost as though the matter had been settled when she said you would make a fine queen.

Aegon is taunting Jace and Baela. JACE almost rose to the bait, but instead offered a toast to Aegon and Aemond. We haven't seen each other in a long time, but I have fond memories of us when we were younger. As men, I hope we can be allies.

Viserys said that his boy did well.

Helaena wants to toast Baela and Rhaena. Soon, they will be married. He ignores you most of the time. Sometimes when he's drunk.

Helaena was asked to dance by Jace. Everyone is sitting and eating and drinking. Rhaenyra and Daemon are having a good time. Alicent and Otto are smiling. Viserys is watching the whole thing with both joy and exhaustion.

It's a nice moment. The storm is just around the corner. The guards are carrying the king off. Rhaenyra won't see her father again.

Aemond, who has not spoken a word for the entire time, sees a laugh coming from the other side of the table. He leans against the table and raises his goblet. The music is not playing anymore.

Aemond said it was the final tribute. To the well-being of my relatives. JACE, luke and Joffrey were present. They were handsome and wise. He takes a moment. It's strong. He made it clear that he was referring to Harwin Strong. He says to let them drain our cups. Alicent tried to talk to her son, but he didn't listen.

Jace said he was more upset by this taunting than by any of Aegon's jokes.

What's the reason? Aemond was the one who replied. It was just a thought. Do you believe in yourself?

Jace hits him and he starts to run. Aegon slammed the boy to the table. Jace is shoved to the floor by aemond.

Why would you say something like that to them? Alicent said something to her son.

Aemond says he was just expressing how proud he was of his family.

Daemon stood between Jace and Aemond and stared at the young man. Aemond is scowling.

An old wound seems to have been healed by Rhaenyra and Alicent. After Rhaenyra returns her children safely to Dragonstone, she will return on a dragon back.

These two women may not be together again.

Alicent went to her husband's room as he died. He made a mistake by making her for Rhaenyra. The prophetic song of Ice and Fire is discussed by him. Alicent thinks he's talking about their son Aegon when he talks about unifying the realm against the dark.

He told Alicent that he thought she was Rhaenyra. This is something you must do. This is something you must do.

Alicent thought her husband wanted Aegon to sit the Iron Throne instead of Rhaenyra. She told him she understood him and blew out a candle.

Viserys moaned and unclenched his fingers. He raises his hand above the bed, and a tear falls from his eye, as he gasps, "No more." He said his last words as the screen went black.

I have to give a standing applause to Paddy Considine. He has been great this season, but this was simply amazing. His Viserys is a sad figure, and his three major scenes in this episode were brilliant.

It's a powerful show of strength and resolve when he shows up in the throne room and goes to the Iron Throne. His speech to his family was very moving. His last moments of delirium were both beautiful and sad.

There is a lot of dialogue in this recap. There is a Shakespearean quality to this show that makes every scene, no matter how banal, gripping and dense with meaning.

I was drawn to House of the Dragon initially, but I have changed my mind as the season has gone on. I used to watch the first six episodes all at once, but now I watch them twice a week instead. This isn't as good as some shows. It takes a long time even as we jump to important moments in the story.

In many ways, this show is more mature and serious than its predecessor, in part because the characters are so richly drawn and the conflict built up between them is so compelling and complex. It is not as fanciful as it could be despite the large number of dragons. It has a smaller cast and is more focused.

I wasn't sure if we'd have characters we could really root for, but I think it's pretty clear now that there are some characters I would prefer to see win. Jace and Aegon are both honorable young men. At the moment, Aemond is cruel and menacing, but he is personable. Alicent seems like she wants to do the right thing, but ultimately she is self-serving and manipulating, while Rhaenyra is not above amoral actions.

The show does a better job of depicting complex characters than Game of thrones does. The inscrutable Daemon, the scheming Otto Hightower, the good boy knight Ser Criston Cole turned sour after being rejected.

I am happy that we have two episodes left and excited that we have found a show that has exceeded all of our expectations.

What did you think of the show? You can let me know on social media.

The review was late and I apologize. I'm sick. It is difficult to write with this level of brain fog.